Kyoto protocol (letter)

by J. Mangan

News Weekly, October 28, 2006

Sir,

In relation to recent demands by the ALP Environment spokesman, Anthony Albanese, that Australia sign the Kyoto protocol to curb greenhouse gases, it should be said that many of the signatories will not reach the target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 1991 levels.

Among the worst off is Canada, the current president of U.N. climate change talks, which this year became the first country to announce it would not meet its Kyoto target of a 6 percent emissions cut on average over the years 2008-2012. Canada's emissions have ballooned by 29 percent instead.

UN forecasts show Japan's emissions will grow by 6 percent, instead of shrink by the same rate as mandated by the treaty.

Spain and Britain will meet their targets, because they have switched from coal to natural gas power generation. Other EU countries will only reach the targets through carbon trading credits.

Developing countries are not included, so China and India, for example, are not restricted in the growth of greenhouse gas emissions.

Australia has done the right thing by refusing to sign the Kyoto protocol.